The Fundamental Strength of Bonds
by AngelofaWhiteNight
Summary: Four months after the reunification of the worlds, Kratos and Lloyd live life in Luin, but when the ties of friendship unravel and rumors spread that an evil has returned, will their bond be strong enough to keep them together? Oyako. MY sequel.
1. Angelus Esse

_AngelofaWhiteNight:__ Alrighty! Welcome to my story, it's a very long one so I hope you stick around for it if you like it. I started this story waaay back in October and I finally have chapter one finished. I was held off by a number of things, writer's block being the main one. I had characterization issues (Kratos is sooooo hard). *sigh* Okay, Lloyd be my muse! Please say the disclaimer._

_Lloyd:__ AngelofaWhiteNight owns nothing...yet._

_AngelofaWhiteNight: __I did make up some things for this story, which I do own but they won't show up for a while, and I don't want to spoil anything. Well, here's the story and I hope you like it!_

* * *

_Edit 9/23/10: Fanfiction decided not to put my page breaks, and I edited some of the punctuation. I did a reread of this and noticed I was overusing some words, so I edited those too. Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter One: Angelus Esse

Twilight had settled on the city, casting long, dark shadows on the buildings and giving everything a reddish hue. The sky in the east had long since turned a very dark blue color, while the west was bright orange tinged with violet, illuminating the wispy clouds with such intensity it gave the impression that the sky had caught fire. Towering up to the heavens were the massive twilit columns of Luin's cherry trees, their blossoming branches twittering with the chirps of many small birds singing goodnight to the sun as it brightly burned off its last embers before night took over. It was that exact glow that increased the vibrancy of the red clothes worn by the brown-haired boy sitting on the stone bench in front of Luin's fountain. The white ribbons connected to his shirt collar, which were fluttering behind him in the gentle breeze, were given a soft, slightly pink color due to the intense sunset to his right.

Lloyd sighed softly to himself, sliding back further on his bench and drawing his knees up against his chest, wrapping his arms around them in an attempt to keep the chilly air away as much as possible. Luin was known for being cold many nights of the year; on those nights, because it was situated on a lake, the rebuilt city was also notorious for being covered in a thick fog. Which did not seem to be the case that particular evening; something the young swordsman was very grateful for. He wasn't quite cold, but he had learned, due to recent circumstances, that he should prepare himself regardless. The boy smiled wryly at the thought, for he had just realized that he'd forgotten to bring his coat.

As time passed, the sky in the west changed to pale blue with a pink fringe on the horizon; because the sunset was almost finished, Lloyd's ribbons had faded back to their normal white color, barely stirring in the whispering breeze. The birds had long since ceased their chirping, falling silent as the darkness took over and sleep claimed them; the lake water, which Lloyd was blankly staring at, had become black, reflecting an image of the darkening sky above.

Raising his gaze to the heavens, the young man watched as the stars began to appear. He smiled a genuine smile as he wondered at the shining dots. The stars held a special meaning for him: They were the same stars he could remember looking at with his father; the thing they did every night, just the two of them. It was the only memory from his early childhood that he could clearly recall, and it was the one he cherished the most.

He and Kratos had had a slightly rocky start: Lloyd had been envious of the mercenary's skill and power, and irritated by his cool approach to every situation; Kratos had to bear the brunt of his son's childish temper and frequent bursts of frustration while trying to guide his development into a strong, responsible young adult. The boy's jealousy had abated once the man began training him, and he began to look up to Kratos as more than just the adult male figure of the group; Lloyd had idolized him, and wanted to be as strong, smart, and dependable as he was.

Not long after, parts of the journey became difficult, and their relationship was nearly destroyed; Lloyd had almost thought they would never be on good terms again. Then he had found out the truth: His biological father had been alive the entire time, and they had already met. At first, Lloyd hadn't dared to believe that his true father was really Kratos; the seraph of Cruxis, their betrayer. But during the night in Flanoir, Kratos told him everything: the truth behind his mother's death, his father's actions about how he had gone to such lengths just to help his only child; they had talked for hours as father and son, and the young swordsman had decided that the truth wasn't so difficult to accept at all. The mercenary had been on his side the entire time, and no one had ever gone through so much, done so much, gone so far out of their way just for him; Lloyd found himself feeling cared for in a way he could not ever remember feeling.

So after the worlds' reunification and a few weeks of thought and various negotiations, it was decided that Lloyd would live with Kratos, and they moved to Luin. It was a new environment for the both of them: Kratos was not used to a settled home life; being on the run from Cruxis with his wife and son was hardly 'settled'; Lloyd had felt a little awkward to live in a city that had a statue of him where everyone could see it, and was rather thrown off by seeing the seraph in a household-type setting, but he had become used to it more quickly than his father had.

The swordsman shivered and hugged his legs closer to his body as a particularly strong gust of wind swept past him, ruffling his hair and flinging his ribbons off to the side. The gust was almost over before it even began and, as the soft breeze returned, Lloyd stood and decided he'd better get home. Heading left from the fountain, he walked down the paved street, past the fork in the road, down the stairs leading to the weapon shop, to the fence of the two story house in front of the inn. As he entered the gate and closed it behind him, he was greeted by an enthusiastic Noishe, whose tail was wagging so fast his whole back half shook with it. The boy paused just long enough to pet his 'dog' on the head and scratch his ears before walking inside.

Upon entering, he closed the door behind him and tugged off his boots, leaving them beside the door and making his way around the house in search of his father. Lloyd finally located him in the kitchen and walked over to him, stopping so they stood side by side.

Noticing his son's presence, Kratos turned to him. "Ah, good, you've returned. I was just thinking it was time to start dinner. You are hungry, correct?"

As if on cue, Lloyd's stomach gave a loud growl; the boy blushed sheepishly and nodded. Kratos quirked his mouth in amusement, causing his son's cheeks to become even redder. The young swordsman looked away in embarrassment and coughed softly. Even after living together for four months, over a hundred days of constant association, a wee-tiny bit of awkwardness still existed between them; but it seemed to vanish quickly, which Lloyd took as a good sign.

After taking a moment to collect himself, he looked at his father again. "H-have you decided what we're having?"

Kratos eyed his son's face intently. "No, I believe today it is your decision, as it was I who chose yesterday."

"Oh, right. Um…" Lloyd crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "How about beef stew, since it's cold outside?" his expression brightening at the thought.

The mercenary nodded in approval, "As you wish."

And so they retrieved the various ingredients needed and set to work preparing their meal. As they worked, Kratos couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness, for he enjoyed feeling Lloyd's presence beside him. But what he enjoyed most was how close they had become; while on the regeneration journey, he had only dreamed of being a father to Lloyd again. Ever since that dream had become reality, he'd lived it to the fullest, loving every second of it.

He began peeling another potato and glanced over at the boy standing at his side, his smile growing as he saw the precision with which his son was slicing his carrots. His smile faded, however, when he noticed the intense frown occupying Lloyd's features; too intense for him to be merely concentrating on the demise of the orange vegetables. The seraph gave the young swordsman a look of fatherly concern.

"Lloyd, are you all right?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Lloyd paused his chopping and looked up at him confusedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Kratos stared into his son's large brown eyes for a moment before responding. "You were frowning so harshly a moment ago, I thought that, perhaps, something had upset you…"

Lloyd's face lit up as realization hit him; and he smiled reassuringly at the man. "Oh no, I'm really okay. I was just thinking about something."

"…I see. What were you thinking so hard about?"

The young swordsman hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to phrase his question.

"Well, since my Exsphere evolved and I got my wings, that makes me an angel now, like you and Colette, right?"

"That is correct."

"So, does that mean I'm going to go through the angel transformation?" Lloyd put his hands on his hips, his expression thoughtful.

"No, it does not."

Intrigued, the boy raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

The seraph gazed at his son and said in a gentle voice, "Do you not recall the Chosen regaining her senses when you supplied her with a functional Key Crest?"

"…Yeah."

"The same holds true for you; your Key Crest allows you to control your Cruxis Crystal and, at the same time, prevents the loss of your humanity. The Chosen lost hers because, on the Day of Prophecy, she was purposely given a Cruxis Crystal that lacked a Key Crest, and releasing the Seals only served to hasten its negative effects. You, however, will not have the same experience because you have a Key Crest, which, from what we can see, is functioning normally," Kratos explained, placing his finished potato in the pot on the stove and starting on another one while Lloyd absorbed the information.

"So, basically what you're saying is: I'll still be able to eat and sleep and stuff, all because I have a Key Crest on my Cruxis Crystal?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Hmm…"

Mulling it over, the young swordsman dropped his carrot slices into the pot, brought the meat over to his work area, and began cutting it into tiny cubes. A comfortable silence fell over them; the only sounds coming from the utensils they were using as they continued to work.

Lloyd contemplated the mercenary's words as he continued to cut out the cubes of meat, and eventually thought of a question; one that gave him an almost giddy feeling when he thought of the possible answer. Briefly glancing in his father's direction and seeing how preoccupied he appeared to be, the boy was suddenly hesitant to voice his inquiry and break the man's concentration. He felt his face burn with indecision, and swallowed convulsively before daring to speak.

"D-dad…?"

"Hm?"

"Um…Is it okay if I ask you something…?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Breathing an inaudible sigh of relief, Lloyd relaxed and, using the flat of his knife blade, slid the finished cubes into a neat pile to create more free space on the cutting board before grabbing another piece of meat and resuming his cutting.

"Since I'm an angel now, does that mean I can use Angel Skills?"

"It is certainly possible," Kratos murmured with a small, knowing smile. "It won't take very long if you are persistent in your training."

Lloyd looked at him, surprised. "You really think I can do it even though I've never used magic before?"

"I am confident that you are capable of doing anything you have the will to do, Lloyd. If you're serious about wanting to learn Angel Skills, and you put the time and effort into it, I see no reason why you shouldn't succeed." The seraph made a sound of amusement as the boy went very red around the cheeks from his father's subtle praise.

Lloyd, embarrassed, looked away and put the meat cubes in the pot before bringing the bag of onions over and beginning to chop them up carefully. He stared down determinedly at the white vegetable he was dicing, a soft smile curling on his lips.

"Y…you really think so…?" he asked as he watched Kratos walk over to the stove and dump the last of the potatoes into the pot. The only affirmation he received was an affectionate ruffling of his hair, but it was enough to satisfy him. Sliding the completed onions from the cutting board to the pot, Lloyd continued his interrogation, "What angel attacks will I be able to use?"

"It's difficult to say; we'll try Judgment first and see what happens."

A mild look of confusion overcame the boy's features.

"What do you mean by that? What's so difficult about it?"

Kratos did not respond immediately; instead he lowered the heat coming from the stove and placed a lid on the pot, leaving it to simmer. He then turned and headed for the table in the dining room beside the kitchen, motioning for Lloyd to follow.

"Come over here and sit; this may take a moment to explain."

The boy in question placed his knife in the sink and trailed after his father, taking a seat in the chair across from the man and holding his confused expression in place. Only when they were settled comfortably did the mercenary speak again.

"Lloyd, I have told you of your Cruxis Crystal's origin, and you, yourself, stated earlier that you are aware of its evolution; it is good that you know that. But do you understand the significance of it being a product of the Angelus Project?"

Taken aback at the somber tone in his father's voice, Lloyd bit his lip nervously before responding, "Well, uh…the Desians wanted to take it from me, so that must mean it was an important part of the Project, right? Kvar said he was going to make it an offering to Yggdrasill…"

The seraph nodded. "Yes, exactly. Did you ever wonder why it had to be yours specifically, instead of any other Exsphere?"

The young swordsman blinked in surprise. He had never really thought about why it had to be _his_ Exsphere; aside from the fact that it had once belonged to his mother, he didn't know anything important about it. Raising his left hand, he stared at the glittering gem set in the golden Key Crest on its back. Frowning at it, he remembered that the question he had asked Kvar had not truly been answered, and realized what the man in front of him was trying to get him to think about, so he asked it.

"What's so important about my Cruxis Crystal?"

Kratos sighed softly. "Lloyd, yours is the only successfully evolved Cruxis Crystal of the Angelus Project; it is also very powerful, which is why Kvar pursued it in the hopes of its recapture. When he invented the Angelus Project, there were only a handful of high-level Exspheres in existence, which were strong enough in that state, but, if evolved, there was no telling how dangerous they would turn out to be."

Lloyd's expression clouded.

"So that was why Kvar thought he would be well rewarded if he gave Yggdrasill one…"

Again, the seraph nodded. "That's right, but in the end, all of his attempts failed until he tried the experiment on Anna; somehow she was able to start the Exsphere's evolution, and that was why Kvar was so persistent to retrieve it in his hunt for us."

The boy nodded in grim acknowledgment; the new revelation added sense to some of the holes that were never filled in when his father told him the facts of his mother's death, and also gave him some new concerns.

"If my Cruxis Crystal is so powerful, is it really a good thing if I keep using it? How do we know if it's safe for me?"

Kratos sighed and folded his arms.

"Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing exactly how much power your Cruxis Crystal has; after Kvar met his demise, Rodyle stole all of the leftover research data, and his ranch is now a pile of rubble at the bottom of the ocean. And there aren't any records to be found anywhere in the world that we can look through to find information. As for whether using it is a good thing; I don't think we'll encounter any problems with it as long as your Key Crest continues functioning."

Lloyd gave a soft smile in reply and, as Kratos got up to make sure their stew hadn't burned, tried to process all of the information he had received. In the end he decided that trying to figure it out all at once would just give him a headache, but when he at least thought about how much stronger his Cruxis Crystal was going to make him, he couldn't help but grin mischievously.

"Heh heh…Training is going to be so much fun…"

* * *

_Lloyd:__ You made me weird..._

_AngelofaWhiteNight:__ Did not. Anyway I would appreciate reviews on this please. I am open to criticism (be nice please), but my main worry is whether or not I kept them in character, so input on that would be most helpful. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too boring; it was talky for sure, but the topics in their conversation were necessary for subsequent chapters. I promise the story will get better than this later on. Please review!_


	2. Fête Champêtre

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: I'm soooo sorry for the late update! First I moved and then I couldn't get an internet connection other than on my cell phone. I had this finished mid-September but I couldn't upload it. Oh, I forgot to put that the title of chapter one is supposed to mean "To Be an Angel" in Latin. It's been more than four years since my last Latin class so it may be a bit off, but oh well. Lloyd, please say the disclaimer._

_Lloyd__: Okay. AngelofaWhiteNight won't own anything until...somewhere around chapter ten...I think._

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: Lloyd! Don't spoil the story!_

_Lloyd__: Oops. Sorry..._

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: Please enjoy chapter two!_

* * *

_Edit 9/23/10: I'm surprised no one caught this, but I forgot to put ending quotation marks at the end of Sheena's dialog in the flashback. As with chapter one, I edited some punctuation and fixed the areas where I, again, did some word overuse. Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter Two: Fête Champêtre

It was a few hours past dawn. Small birds chirped as the sky brightened and the water of Lake Sinoa glittered as the morning light danced over it. The air was crisp and fresh; the soft murmuring of voices could be heard as shop owners opened their stores for business, and a few early-rising villagers busied themselves with laundry or other various tasks. The laughter of children at play, under the watchful eyes of their parents, rose over the din, adding a sense of cheerfulness to the atmosphere of Luin in its waking state.

As joyous as the day seemed to be starting, there was, however, one person who did not think it was so wonderful. Dark brown eyes glowered menacingly at the sunlight that dared to filter through his window and shine into his face, rudely waking him at a time far earlier than he was used to. Childishly sticking out his tongue in the direction of the window for a moment, the brown-haired boy scooted over to the other side of his bed where he would be out of reach of the sun's rays. Giving the window a final glare, he rolled over with an annoyed huff, positioning his body so his back faced the offending light, and pulled the covers over his head, enveloping himself in near complete darkness and settling back to sleep.

A few hours later, the boy woke a second time when he felt the blankets tighten over his tired form and a section of the mattress collapse as someone sat next to him on the bed, but he was much too warm and sleepy to even consider opening his eyes and giving his undivided attention to whoever his visitor was. So he allowed himself to doze off for a minute, and almost succeeded in returning to his rest, when he felt a soft puff of air brush his cheek as someone pulled the blankets away from his face, neatly folding down the edges so they were flush against his upper arm, just below his shoulder.

For a long moment, nothing happened…then he mumbled contently as warm fingers gently ran through his hair, and he smiled softly at the familiar touch. The caressing stopped, much to Lloyd's disappointment, and a hand was placed on his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

"Lloyd, wake up."

The boy in question stirred again, slowly opening his eyes before pulling his arm out from under the blankets, using the palm of his hand to rub the sleep out of them. When he finished, he rolled onto his back and blinked up at his father's face.

Kratos smiled at him. "You'd best get up; we have a lot to do today."

Lloyd tiredly grumbled something about not wanting to get up yet and, yawning, he stretched luxuriously. "Mh. But we don't usually start training this early…"

The mercenary's smile faded and he sighed softly, mentally preparing himself for the outburst of anger he was sure to receive from his son.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but we aren't going to be able to train for quite some time."

The expression on the boy's face clearly showed that that was not the answer he had been expecting; he sat up quickly, his features indignant.

"W-We're not? Why? You said you were going to start teaching me how to do Angel Skills-!" Lloyd's protests were silenced as his father gently pressed two fingers against his lips, though the boy continued to glare at him.

Kratos was not daunted, however, and chose to handle the young swordsman's frustration with patience, keeping his voice soft. "Yes, I did say that, and I will teach you Angel Skills, Lloyd. I promise you, I will. But the mayor requested our help to set up the festival decorations because there aren't enough people to do everything, and we have to do our part, as well."

Lloyd's demeanor became mildly curious, and he gracefully arched an eyebrow as he asked, "Festival…? What festival?"

"Luin annually has a cherry blossom festival to celebrate the arrival of spring," the man explained. "It is supposed to start when the first blossoms appear, and since the cherry trees are said to be flowering next week, the mayor wanted to begin the preparations as soon as possible-"

"Hold on a second," Lloyd interrupted. "Are you telling me it's going to be _two weeks_ before we can start training again?"

Kratos nodded, his expression grave. "Again, I apologize, Lloyd. I, too, wished to resume your training, but it will have to wait; our assistance is needed here."

Lloyd crossed his arms with obvious distaste and, for a while, appeared to be mulling over the information he had received.

When several long minutes had passed and he did not stir, the seraph reached out and tenderly placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If you wish to train that much, simply think of this as a form of 'patience training.' As of this moment, the main cause of your impatience is youth; therefore, you must gradually mature your way out of it. Now, if you get dressed and come to the kitchen, I will get breakfast ready for you, all right?" With that, the mercenary gave an affectionate ruffle to his son's hair and headed downstairs.

The young swordsman watched him go, then took a hot shower and dressed himself. As he made his way to the kitchen by following the delicious smell of freshly made pancakes, he admitted to himself that, since the shower had cleared his head, the thought of helping the people of Luin did sound like a less-selfish way to use his time, compared to training.

When his belly was pleasantly full and warm, he felt his grumpiness shatter as he dried the dishes his father was washing, and began to cheerfully chat with the man on various topics ranging from Anna to dinner ideas; Lloyd had hope that the coming afternoon and evening would be good enough to make the events of that morning bearable.

* * *

The afternoon seemed promising: Unlike most of the villagers who came to assist with the set-up and found the sun to be unforgivingly hot, Lloyd had managed to find himself a rather shady place on the walkway near the fountain to work, which made his task feel somewhat on the easy side.

Fumbling with the slippery, wet object in his hands, he struggled to tie the knot that would restrain the water inside the object, and then sighed in relief as he was successful. He held up the item to inspect his handiwork, found it to be satisfactory, and placed it aside in a container that was nearly full with many of said item. The boy paused for a moment, staring curiously at the objects, and he wondered, briefly, what they were going to be used for.

The mayor had personally given him the job of filling the things with water, saying they had a purpose in a game of some sort. Lloyd had pressed further, asking what they were and where he'd obtained them; the man had only said that he once had a friend who went to Altamira and brought back several bagfuls of them, and that the people there called them 'balloons.'

Reaching into the container, the boy picked up a water balloon and gently squeezed it for a second, fascinated by how the liquid moved around inside it, before looking up at the city beyond him. Booths for prize-winning games were being set up, party streamers were woven along the tree branches, Chinese-style lanterns of various colors were strung across courtyards and parts of the lake, and many other things were going on that he could not take in all at once. He could see that the festival grounds were starting to take shape, and he wasn't at all surprised to find that his thoughts had wandered to his mother.

_/Mom…did you live here long enough to see one of these festivals…? Did they look anything like this one?/ _His eyes fell on an elderly couple who appeared to be headed toward the item shop. _/I wonder if they lived here when you did… For all I know, you could've lived next door to them, and they could've watched you grow up…until the Desians took you to the ranch…/_

At the thought of the ranch, Lloyd's mind went to how his father had rescued Anna from that nightmarish place, and he smiled softly. _/Hey, Mom…I don't know if you can watch us from wherever you are…but I hope you can see that I'm happy here with Dad, and I'm sure he's happy, too. It took a long time for things to get the way they are now…/_

It was because of her that they lived in Luin, all because it was where she had been born. He and Kratos had promised to protect it together… As he returned his attention to the water balloon held loosely in his grasp, he recalled the conversation he had had with the man, after the seedling of the World Tree had been named…

* * *

"_Bye, Sheena! Good luck on your way home to Mizuho!"_

"_Thanks! See you, Lloyd!"_

_Lloyd continued to wave at her as she got on her Rheaird and flew away; they all had decided to go their own separate ways after the worlds' reunification, and Colette had been first, saying it was very important that she got home as quickly as possible. The others had followed suit, until the only person left was…_

_Looking over his shoulder, the boy caught sight of Kratos standing a short distance away from him and the new World Tree, Yggdrasill. The mercenary had his back to him and was gazing up at the sky, where Derris-Kharlan was plainly visible. Lloyd watched him for a while, sighed, and slowly made his way over to the man; when he drew near, Kratos turned to look at him, and he stopped so they stood side-by-side._

_For a very long moment, neither of them spoke, and the longer the silence stretched on, the more agitated the boy became until, finally, he broke the peace._

"…_H-Hey D-Kratos, um…what are your plans now that Cruxis is gone?"_

_Kratos glanced away, his expression thoughtful. "Hm. I am not sure yet." He turned his gaze back to his son. "…Will you be returning home to Iselia?"_

_Lloyd shook his head. "No, I'm not going back there; it's true that the villagers said it was okay for me to come back…but being in that village, seeing the damage from the fires, feeling the way the villagers' eyes look at me…it's all a constant reminder of the trouble I caused, and I can't forgive myself for what I did, so I won't go back…"_

_Try as he might, Kratos could not hide the concern in his voice. "…Where will you go, if not home-?"_

"_Luin."_

_The answer was uttered so quickly, and with such finality, that it took the mercenary several seconds to respond. _

"…_Why Luin?"_

_Lloyd hesitated, and bit his lip as he tried to think of a response that would properly convey his feelings. "I… made a promise with someone that, together, we would protect Luin because it's the hometown of someone very important to us." The young swordsman turned and faced him fully. "So I'm going to Luin, and if he has any intention of keeping his promise…well, he'll have to meet me there. …I'd better go; I have to get there before he does!"_

_With that, the boy ran off, while Kratos was left stunned and rooted to his spot. Briefly looking up at the comet that covered half of the sky, he turned in the direction his son had gone and, in a flurry of light and feathers, released his crystal-blue wings. _

"_I'm sorry, Lloyd…but you've gravely misjudged the situation if you think you can make it to Luin before I do," he said, rising to Lloyd's challenge._

_The race was on…_

* * *

"Hey, Lloyd! Have you finished the water balloons yet?"

The boy started as the voice brought him out of his trance, and he glanced up in time to see the mayor approaching him from the wooden bridge. Hastily returning the balloon to the container beside him, he placed the lid on it and stood, holding the bin in his arms. "Yeah, I'm done."

The mayor smiled and thanked Lloyd as he took the box from him, and carried it back the way he came.

Lloyd's eyes followed him for a bit and, as more exciting things caught his attention, he had a feeling that participating in the festival would be more fun than setting it up.

* * *

_One week later…_

The young swordsman had entered the festival thinking that the villagers had outdone themselves: The food was spectacular to look at, and even better to eat; the games were fun and varied, each with different prizes to win; and the town itself was completely transformed by a combination of the many-colored lanterns that cast a shimmering rainbow on the black lake, and the sheer energy that filled the air as the villagers happily celebrated the arrival of spring.

But as the hours slowly went by, Lloyd began to feel the excitement wear off, and he eventually grew bored with the festival. Thinking that there wasn't much else to do, the boy aimlessly walked in the general direction of Luin's fountain; when he reached it, he paused in front of its gray plaque and silently read the inscription: _Lloyd Irving, the hero who dedicated himself to the restoration of this city._

_/Hero, huh…?/_ His eyes narrowed at the words engraved before him. _/I've never thought of myself that way…/_ Returning his line of vision to the statue, which was the central piece of the fountain, he scrutinized it, taking in everything from its posture to the intricate detail on the clothes and hair. _/Sheesh…they don't worship this thing, do they…?/_

Unnerved at the implication, Lloyd started to turn and head back when he nearly collided with his father, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Whoa! Dad, how long have you been standing there? I almost ran into you!"

Kratos did not seem perturbed, though, and replied as calmly as ever, "Long enough. What are you doing over here?"

The boy sighed and leaned against the fountain's tall stone base, where the seraph soon joined him. "I got bored with the festival and just walked around for a bit; this is where I ended up."

"…I see." Smiling down at Lloyd, Kratos continued. "I do believe it has been quite some time since we last looked at the stars together."

Looking up into the man's eyes, the young swordsman smiled back. "Yeah, it has…"

And so, father and son gazed up at the stars, letting the silence lapse comfortably, and relaxed at the feeling of simply being together. The gentle lapping of the lake water was especially calming, and the refreshingly cool air was a pleasant addition to their stargazing session.

As much as Lloyd was enjoying the moment, however, a brief glance at the ongoing festival made him remember the thoughts he'd had while filling the water balloons merely a week earlier. Curiosity welled up in him, and eventually he worked up the will to speak.

"…Dad?"

"Hm? What is it, Lloyd?"

"Um… Did Mom ever say if she went to one of those?" Lloyd asked, gesturing in the direction of the festival.

Kratos remained silent as he reflected on the many conversations he'd had so long ago with his late wife, then slowly shook his head. "No. From what I recall, she never had the time to speak in detail about her experiences before the Asgard Human Ranch."

The boy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean, 'she never had time'? Didn't you guys talk about stuff?"

"Certainly, but casual conversation is not exactly a luxury when you are pursued by the cruelest of the Five Grand Cardinals. Our discussions consisted mainly of what our next destination was, or how we would earn enough money to continue on. Eventually, those discussions came to include how we would properly care for you in the face of such adversity; Kvar was insistent on making our escape especially difficult…"

Lloyd nodded pensively. "…Hm. So she never once said anything to you about her life here?"

"She may have mentioned a few things; I remember her telling me that, from her point of view, Luin was a lovely city full of lively people."

"…That's not so different from how it is now," the young swordsman mused, shifting his position to trail his fingers through the water in the fountain's pool. Trying as hard as he could not to make any noise, he swirled the water around, tracing invisible shapes that only he knew. When his hand felt too cold, he withdrew it and shook the water off-

-accidentally flicking it onto his father in the process.

Kratos slowly turned to meet the wide eyes of his son's shocked face. "Are you trying to start something? You're sorely mistaken if you think you can defeat me in this type of contest."

The boy's surprise quickly switched to a mischievous grin. "Are you sure about that? Old people are usually so weak they can't splash very mu- Aah!" Lloyd hastily attempted to duck as a wave of water came at him, then ran to the other side of the plaque and tried to make a return-splash at the man, which missed.

"Underestimating your opponent will be your downfall if you continue to think like that, Lloyd. Do you still wish to continue?" Kratos aimed another splash at Lloyd, who barely managed to dodge it.

Laughing at the jocular tone in his father's voice, the young swordsman called out, "Bring it on, _old man_! I'm not gonna lose!"

Kratos 'humph'ed playfully. "As you wish."

And so the festival continued, completely unnoticed by the two swordsmen; to them, the best game of all was the splashing contest between father and son.

* * *

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: The title for this chapter is supposed to mean "Rural Festival" in French. Chapter three will be the training chapter. For some reason, I accidentally made chapter one end with the mention of training and some readers may have thought chapter two would be the training one. I'm sorry about that; it was a writing error on my part and I apologize for any confusion. Also, I may be the only one who finds this interesting but the number of rough drafts for chapter one was 9, and the number of rough drafts for chapter two was 6._

_Lloyd__: So chapter three really is going to be training, right?_

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: Yes it is. It's getting closer and closer to the holidays, and during this time of year I get really busy because Christmas and Thanksgiving are major holidays for my family. So I will write when I can; in the meantime, reviews would be appreciated because this is my first attempt at doing a flashback and I would like to know how I did on that as well as the characterization. Oh, and please feel free to let me know of any typos or things like that, if you find any._

_Lloyd__: Please review and tell her your thoughts on how well she did her characterization._

_AngelofaWhiteNight__: Thanks, Lloyd. Well, I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for chapter three, hopefully coming soon. Please let me know how I did!_


	3. Training a Celestial Being

_AngelofaWhiteNight: Announcing the long-awaited chapter three! It is here!_

_Lloyd: Oh finally we get to see what happens next!_

_AngelofaWhiteNight: Yes, and I'm sorry for the super-long wait. But before we get to the story, I want to thank freakyanimegal, Cazz, Fullmetal Spirit, hylianangel97, Sirens And Muses, Lady Nephenee Ranulf, Lokesonna, oursolemnhour49, and ThePurpleRose for reviewing! Thank you so much for your support!_

_Lloyd: Am I supposed to do the disclaimer yet?_

_AngelofaWhiteNight: One more thing, first. This chapter was Beta'd by oursolemnhour49, and she's also the one who re-motivated me to continue this story, so I'm dedicating this chapter to her! =D I hope you all like it! Now you can do the disclaimer, Lloyd._

_Lloyd: AngelofaWhiteNight owns nothing!_

_AngelofaWhiteNight: Please enjoy chapter three!_

_

* * *

_

_Edit 3/18/11: Found a misplaced comma at the end_

_

* * *

_

Chapter Three: Training a Celestial Being

Lloyd raised his twin blades, crossing them as he caught Kratos' attack. Digging his heels into the dirt, he shoved the offending sword away and began a Twin Tiger Blade in an attempt to gain the upper hand. He found himself clenching his teeth in frustration, however, as the mercenary parried each slash with ease and countered with his own, forcing his son to remain on the defensive.

As the seraph raised his blade to begin the next series of blows, the boy ran underneath it and aimed a thrust at his father's exposed side. Before he could make contact, Kratos elbowed him squarely between the shoulder blades, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt. Coughing, Lloyd carefully stood and wiped the dust off his face with his sleeve, resolutely returning to his fighting stance.

The two swordsmen spent several long moments staring each other down, both daring the other to attack first; watching closely for any form of action that might betray their opponent's intentions.

Kratos suddenly struck without warning, performing a complicated combination of moves while Lloyd blocked and backpedaled rapidly as he tried to avoid a swipe to the face and regain his balance at the same time.

Allowing his sword to glance off the edge of the mercenary's, the teen sidestepped a jab to his waist. He ducked as the blade came whistling over his head, hair rippling in the miniature gust of wind created by its movement. Spinning to the left, the young swordsman lunged into what he hoped was a finishing strike. Growling when he only cut through air, he whipped around and clanged his swords against his father's in a flash of sparks.

"That's enough, stop!"

The boy came to an abrupt halt, his arms still upraised as if frozen in mid-swing. He allowed them to relax and hang limply at his sides after seeing that the fight was temporarily paused. His limbs suddenly seemed very heavy as the adrenaline from his exercise wore off. Large beads of sweat ran down his forehead as he panted.

He glanced over at his companion and felt a pang of annoyance when he noticed how Kratos acted as though he had just returned from a leisurely stroll. Ignoring it for the time being, the young swordsman rolled his shoulders a bit and shifted his weight, trying to loosen his tired muscles.

Despite his physical discomfort, Lloyd relished the feeling of being able to train again. Simply thinking of how much stronger he could become from each session was more than enough for him to do his best.

"Lloyd."

The boy returned his attention to the man in front of him, eyebrows raised in question. "Hm?"

"Your evasion has improved, and I can see that you have been working with your speed advantage. However, we need to brush up on your counterattacking skills. Are you ready to begin again?"

Lloyd, who had already recovered from their last bout, nodded and assumed a defensive beginning stance, eyeing his father warily.

The corner of Kratos' mouth twitched as he fought a small smile. "So, Lloyd, what do you say we bring this up to our level?"

The swordsman grinned playfully. "Bring it! I'm ready!"

In a mere matter of seconds, a red blur had closed the distance between them and the mercenary was deflecting a flurry of slashes and thrusts. Kratos felt a sense of pride as the battle wore on and he witnessed his son perform quite a few spectacular counterattack maneuvers. The boy was clearly building on his own abilities, even changing and adapting his attack strategy to fit the situation.

Their skirmish continued for nearly half an hour before it became evident that the young swordsman was beginning to tire. The seraph watched with growing amusement as Lloyd's expression changed from determination to frustration as his body struggled to maintain the pace. Finally, Kratos knocked one of Lloyd's swords out of his hand and flicked the tip of his own up to the boy's neck.

The instant he had lost one of his blades, Lloyd knew he could not win; he would not have been able to move his remaining sword fast enough to defend himself. Exhausted, chest heaving, and feeling slightly disappointed in himself for losing, he faced the seraph's blade and accepted his defeat.

His spirits rose considerably, however, when he received a satisfied smile from his father. The man sheathed his sword, motioning for his son to do the same.

"Well done, Lloyd. That's enough for now."

* * *

Lloyd gave a quiet sigh of contentment around his mouthful of beef sandwich. He was grateful for his father's foresight to bring lunch with them and they ate it together, sitting side by side in the shade of a large tree just on the outskirts of Luin. Both felt refreshed by the spring breezes that blew down from the mountains.

After crumpling up his empty paper sandwich bag, Lloyd pulled his pack beside him and fished out a small bag of carrot sticks.

"Say, Dad. How can you fight for as long as we just did and not feel tired? I thought my lungs were going to burst, but you looked like you didn't even break a sweat."

Kratos, who was halfway through the second half of his own sandwich, appeared thoughtful for a moment before responding, "If you were to train for long periods of time for as long as I have, you would be much the same way. Don't you remember how quickly you became tired when you first started the journey of regeneration? Your stamina has greatly increased since then."

The boy sat in a stunned silence as the information washed over him. He remembered how exhausted he'd been after only the first five minutes inside the Seal of Fire, and let out a short laugh. "Wow, you're right. I never even noticed it."

"Like most changes, it happens very gradually."

"Heh, that's true. I guess it all comes down to the amount of practice, huh?" Lloyd mused as he took a bite of one of his carrots. Swallowing, he continued, "Does it apply to Angel Skills, too?"

The mercenary shook his head. "Not exactly. The Angel Skills themselves do not change, no matter how much time and effort you put into practicing them. The only things that do change are your casting time and your level of control over the output of mana."

The young swordsman looked thoroughly confused. "Uh… I understood everything you said until you got to 'control the offbeat'-"

"Output," Kratos corrected. "I simply meant that you can control how much mana you wish to fuel the attack with."

"Really?" Lloyd asked excitedly. "You mean the way you did when we fought you for the first time at the Tower of Salvation?" It might have been his imagination, but the boy thought he saw a flicker of pain cross the man's features. Horrified that he might have just accidentally insulted his father, Lloyd immediately launched into a frantic apology. "Oh no, _no_ I didn't mean-! That wasn't a reflection on you-! I-I'm sorry-!" His stammers were cut off as Kratos placed a hand on his head.

"It's all right, Lloyd; I know what you were trying to say. I am not offended," the man murmured softly, giving a gentle ruffle to his son's hair.

For a second, the boy looked as though he was about to protest. He relaxed, however, when he saw his father's reassuring smile, which he returned. He had been afraid that his question had sounded more like an accusation, a very hurtful one at that, and even though the angel had already forgiven him, a slight awkwardness hung in the air. He hoped that returning to their conversation would ease it.

"…S-so, you said I can control how powerful my angelic attacks are, right? But isn't that impossible for me since I can't use mana to cast spells, you know, like half-elves do?" Lloyd asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Kratos chuckled a bit, as though he had been expecting his son to make that particular inquiry. "If that was the way Angel Skills were used, then yes it would be impossible for you to use them."

The boy arched an eyebrow. "Then how…?"

The mercenary folded his arms, getting into what Lloyd secretly called the 'Explanation Pose'.

"Normal magic is cast using a combination of a spell and a manipulation of the mana in the air. In contrast, Angel Skills such as Judgment are cast using the energy in a Cruxis Crystal."

The young swordsman felt his eyes widen in surprise. "Wow, that's the only difference?"

"Not quite," Kratos replied, smiling at Lloyd's interest. "The power and effectiveness of magic is dependent on the skill of the user, and each attack cannot be strengthened or weakened at will. Angel Skills are the opposite: The user does not have to be skilled for them to be effective, and each attack's power can be adjusted however the caster wishes."

The boy's features held a skeptical look. "That almost sounds too easy. Is there a catch to it?"

The seraph sighed softly and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Hm, it's not really a 'catch', as you put it. It's best described as a level of self-control. After you access the power of your Cruxis Crystal, which you already know how to do, you have to be able to release the right amount of mana behind the spell."

"The 'right amount of mana'? You mean if I want to cast a weak form of Judgment, I only have to release a small amount of mana? And a lot of mana for a stronger form?" Receiving a nod from the mercenary, Lloyd snorted with laughter. "Dad, that still sounds too easy!"

Kratos grunted in amusement and stood suddenly, pulling Lloyd to his feet.

"There's only one way to find out."

* * *

Their training spot for the day was simply a piece of the treeless fields between Luin and the ruins of the Tower of Mana. The main road was quite a ways behind them and stretched into the distance toward Asgard. The travelers were sparse for that time of year as well, so they had little reason to worry about anyone seeing or interrupting them.

"Before we begin, Lloyd, are you certain you understand what to do in terms of casting?"

Lloyd nodded, eager to get started. "Yeah, I think I got it. I have to say the incantation, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Do I need to have my wings out, too?"

Kratos hesitated. The last time he had seen his son's wings was when Lloyd had used the Eternal Sword to awaken the Great Seed, and the swordsman had yet to use them again. However…

"No, they are not necessary. And Lloyd, I know you're excited about this, but you need to remember to stay calm so you do not make a mistake."

The young swordsman laughed. "It's okay, Dad, I already knew that. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Kratos nodded. "You may begin whenever you are ready."

Lloyd closed his eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. _/Here I go!/_

"_Sacred powers-"_

Innumerable glowing feathers swirled upward around Lloyd's body. Kratos sensed a spike in the boy's mana as Lloyd was gathered energy from his Cruxis Crystal.

"_Cast your purifying light-"_

The man eyed his son curiously. Lloyd had not drawn enough mana for the spell to be very powerful…

"_-upon these corrupt souls-"_

Kratos felt himself smile slightly; it seemed the young swordsman was taking the cautious route.

"_Rest in peace, sinners!-"_

The seraph could sense the mana condensing; Lloyd was preparing to unleash the attack.

"_Judgment!"_

The boy stood, arm stretched out to the side, eyes focused in determination, then looked around himself in confusion. There were no beams of light shooting down from the heavens, not even a slight darkening of the sky.

His attempt had failed.

"W-what the…"

The young swordsman started as a hand was placed on his arm. He hadn't even noticed his father come beside him

"Lloyd, it's-"

"What happened? I did it right, didn't I?" the boy asked agitatedly.

"Calm down, it was fine. It seemed like you had some trouble releasing the mana, but aside from that, you did very well," Kratos said, giving his son's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Lloyd looked taken aback and his cheeks became rather pink. "Man, I thought I had it. That was embarrassing… Well, can I try it again?"

The mercenary smiled. "It would be very unlike you to give up now."

Lloyd couldn't help but laugh at that. "Heh, yeah that's true!"

Kratos stepped back a few paces to give him some room, and Lloyd took a deep, steadying breath. _/Here I go… again!/_

"_Sacred powers…"_

It was the same as the previous attempt: the luminescent feathers, the collection and condensing of mana. All that remained was for Lloyd to-

"_Judgment!"_

The young swordsman had barely finished his speaking when multiple blinding columns of light shot from the sky, striking the ground in an irregular pattern. And as quickly as it had started, it was over.

Lloyd felt his father's hands grip his shoulders, heard the man murmur praising words, saw the proud smile, but was unable to comprehend it. He felt numb to everything as a mixture of shock and adrenaline swept over him.

"-oyd! Lloyd, are you all right? Well done; you succeeded!"

"I-I did it? I can't believe-! Did I really just-"

Fear, excitement, elation, pride: so many emotions rose up in him that he couldn't speak coherently for several minutes. The one thing that broke him out of his stupor was Kratos pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'm proud of you, Lloyd. Good job," the seraph said, ruffling his son's hair.

"Thanks, Dad. Hey, do you remember me telling you training was going to be fun?"

Kratos looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do recall you saying something like that not too long ago. Why?"

Lloyd laughed. "Because I want to train like this again tomorrow!"

* * *

_AngelofaWhiteNight: ...So? How was it? Does it make up for my lateness? I hope you all enjoyed it._

_Lloyd: How many rough drafts did this one have?_

_AngelofaWhiteNight: Um, lemme check... 10 rough drafts_

_Lloyd: Wow, that's a lot._

_AngelofaWhiteNight: Yeah, but it was worth it. Oh, this may not matter much but the weapons they're using, Kratos is using Last Fencer and Lloyd is using the Material Blade. Anyway, this is my first attempt at an action scene, so reviews would be very appreciated, and they don't take too long, so please review? Pretty please?_

_Lloyd: Please review!_


End file.
